Some Context for the Events • The Hittite Empire was a northern power 1600-1200 BCE, set against Egypt and Assyria. By ’s time c. 1000 BCE it had broken into Syro-Hittite groups who were friendly with Israel; some families continued to dwell for many gen- Advent erations as permanent non-citizens in Israel after Joshua’s legendary takeover of the region in c. 1150 bce. THE MATRILINEAGE OF JESUS • As the story begins, David has seven official wives and nu- merous concubines in residence along with their children. Session 4: The Story of “Uriah’s Wife” • Bat’Sheba (“Daughter of Promise”) could be a Hittite or an The Rev. John Elliott Lein — December 20, 2020 Isrealite by birth—the text is not clear. It would be unsual for the time for a Hittite man to marry an Israelite woman The Matrilineage of Jesus (Matthew 1:1-16) as well as to leave off her father’s place of origin in Israel in There are four women named in the lineage of Jesus from his title here, yet she seems to follow Torah practice and her to Joseph: father may be the same Eliam who was an original (pre- 1.“...and Judah, by Tamar, sired Perez and Zarah...” kingship) mighty man of David which would also connect 2.“...and Salmon, by Rahab, sired Boaz...” her to one of David’s primary advisors (2 Sam. 15:12). 3.“...and Boaz, by , sired Obed...” • At no point is it recorded that David promises will 4.“...and David, by Uriah’s wife, sired Solomon...” be his official heir, but both , the prophet who con- fronted David, and , whom he raped and then ...before we read “...and Jacob sired Joseph the husband of had her husband killed, ensure that events proceed this way. Mary, from whom was born Jesus, called the Anointed.” • The retelling of these stories in the Chronicles completely omits these events, only recording Bathsheba’s four sons. David, Bathsheba, & Solomon (II Samuel & 1 Kings) Read and reflect This story is set during the reign of the legendary king David of Israel, descendent of Ruth. , the first king after the rule It is recommended to read this whole story over more than of the chieftains, had failed in the eyes of God halfway through once before we meet, and bring your insights and questions to the first volume of Samuel, and here we reach the halfway point the discussion. As you read, consider questions such as: of the second volume. 1. Where and how is God in this story? There is an ongoing war with the Ammonites (kin of the 2. What role does Uriah the Hittite play? How do his actions Moabites) and David’s reputation has been built on his leader- and speech compare to those of David the Israelite king? ship of the troops in the field. But this year, as the winter rains cease and it is time for campaigning again, David “sends out” 3. Is Bathsheba victim or victor? his general and warriors while he stays behind to “sit and arise 4. How do women and children seem to be valued alongside and walk around” on his palace rooftop built on a hill high men in this time period? above the surrounding houses containing private courtyards. 5. Where is Jesus reflected in this story? nd so it was, at the end of a full year, at the season for the my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.” campaigning of the kings, that David the king sent out ...Nathan follows to relay the same news in a pre-planned AJoab the general with his officers and all Israel, and they sychronized pattern, and then David says... destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged the city of Rab- The king swore and said, “As yhwh lives, who has re- bah. And David sat in Jerusalem. deemed my soul out of all distress, even as I swore to you by Now it was upon the falling of dusk that David rose from yhwh God of Israel, saying, ‘Surely Solomon your son shall his bed and strolled around upon the roof of the house of the reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead;’ king. From up on the roof he saw a woman washing, and she even so will I certainly do this day” was powerfully pleasing in appearance, and David sent out ...Now King David gives instructions on how to proceed seeking to know her and was told, “She is Bathsheba, daughter with the coronation of his son Solomon and... of Eliam and wife of Uriah the Hittite.” So David sent out mes- So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah ben’Je- sengers to take her; she came to him and he lay with her (and hoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, all went down and she was purifying from her ritual uncleanness). She returned to mounted Solomon to ride upon king David's mule and they her house, found herself showing, and sent out to David a dec- brought him to Gihon. Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out laration saying, “I conceived.” of the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. And they blew the So David sent out to : “Send to me Uriah the Hittite,” trumpet; and all the people said, “God save king Solomon!” and Joab sent him out and he came; and David interrogated And all the people came up after him, they piped with pipes and Uriah on the welfare of Joab and on the welfare of the people they rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth shook with their and on the welfare of the warfare. Then David said to Uriah, sound... “Go down to your house, and wash your feet.” Uriah left the ...[Hearing all the news], the guests who were with Adonijah house of the king accompanied by a king’s portion, yet he lay were afraid and rose up, and everyone scattered on their own down in the entrance of the house of the king with all the ser- ways. Adonijah was terrified because of Solomon; he arose, vants of his lord and did not go down to his house and David went, and caught hold of the horns of the altar. And it was told was told, “Uriah did not go down to his house.” Then David Solomon, saying, “Behold! Adonijah fears king Solomon, for said to Uriah, “Did you not come to me after a journey? Why here: he is holding on the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let king did you not go down to your house?” So Uriah said to David, Solomon swear to me today that he will not slay his servant “The Ark and Israel and Judah sit in tents, and my lord Joab and with the sword.’” Solomon said, “If he will show himself a wor- the servants of my lord camp in the open fields—should I go to thy man not a hair of him shall fall to the earth, but if wicked- my house to eat and to drink and to lay with my wife? On your ness is found in him he shall die.”So king Solomon sent out and life and the life of your soul, this I will not do!” Then David they brought him down from the altar. He came and bowed said to Uriah, “Sit here also today and tomorrow I will send himself to king Solomon and Solomon said to him,“Go to your house”... washing: may be a Torah-based post-period ritual, or simply a bath ...and the king rose to greet Bathsheba and bowed to her and purifying: Bathsheba has completed a week of menstruation and a week of sat down on his throne and set out a throne for the queen ritual uncleaness, the ideal time for conception while Uriah is absent mother, and she sat down to his right. (1 Kings 1:1, 15-21, 28- showing: Hebrew “conceived” may imply visible progression; months later? 30, 38-38, 49-53; 2:19) not do! military honor culture strictly separated home life from campaigns ABSALOM LAYS IN PUBLIC VIEW you out,” and Uriah sat in Jerusalem that day. The following morning he was called to David, and he ate in his presence and nd Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go into your father's drank and became drunk, yet he went out at dusk to lay down concubines, which he has left to keep the house; and all on his bed with the servants of his lord and did not go down to AIsrael shall hear that you are disgusted with your father: his house. then the hands of all that are with you shall be strong.” So they And morning dawned and David scribed an inscription to spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house and Absalom Joab, to be sent out by the hand of Uriah, and he wrote saying, came into his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel. (2 “Place Uriah in the front face of the heaviest battle then retreat Sam. 16:21-22) from him, so that he will be struck and he will die.” So it was that Joab examined the city and put Uriah in the place where SOLOMON BECOMES KING he knew the men of strength were. Out came the men of the city ow king David was old and stricken in years...and and fought Joab, and some of the people of the servants of Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I David fell, and Uriah the Hittite also died. Joab sent out a dec- Nwill be king.” laration to David of all the deeds of the war and ordered the ...Adonijah is supported by David’s general Joab and op- messenger,“Once you have finished speaking of all the deeds of posed by others led by Nathan who support Bathsheba’s son the war to the king, if the king’s wrath rises and he says to you, Solomon for the throne instead. They send her in to the ailing ‘Why advance to the city in fighting? Did you not know that king to convince him to crown Solomon as king immediately... they would shoot from over the wall? Who struck Abimelech So Bathsheba came in to the king into the chamber. The ben’Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman throw a chunk of a mill- king was very old and Abishag the Shunammite ministered to stone upon him from over the wall and kill him in Thebez? the king. Bathsheba bowed and did obeisance to the king and Why did you advance to the wall?’ then say, ‘Also, your servant the king said, “What would you?” Uriah the Hittite is dead.’” Then the messenger journeyed, and And she said to him, “My lord, you swore by yhwh your came to declare to David all that Joab had sent him for.And the God to your handmaid, saying, ‘Surely Solomon your son shall messenger said to David, “When the men overran over us and reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne.’ Yet behold! came out to us in the field, then we came upon them even to the Adonijah reigns though, my lord the king, you know it not. He entrance of the gate until the archers shot at your servants from has slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and has over the wall and they killed some of the king’s servants, in- invited all the sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and cluding your servant Uriah the Hittite.” So David said to the Joab the captain of the host: but Solomon your servant he has messenger,“Say this to Joab, ‘Do not see evil in yourself, as the not called. And you, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are sword devours here and devours there; strengthen your battle upon you, that you should tell them who shall sit on the throne against the city and destroy it’ and so give him courage.” of my lord the king after him. Otherwise it shall come to pass, But the wife of Uriah heard that her husband was dead and when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and she wailed-exceedingly over her husband. Once the mourning rites had passed, David sent out and received her to his house. Absalom: second son of David, oldest after killing his older half-brother She became his wife and bore him a son. But this deed which when Amnon raped Absalom’s sister Tamar (as David did nothing) David had done was evil in the eyes of yhwh. Adonijah: brother of Absalom (killed by Joab against David’s orders) nd so it was that yhwh sent out Nathan the prophet to So David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against yhwh.” David. Nathan came and said to him, “There were two Nathan said, “yhwh has now put away your sin; you shall not Amen in one city; the one rich and the other poor. The rich die. However, because by this deed you have given great occa- man had a great many flocks and herds, but the poor man had sion to the enemies of yhwh to blaspheme, the child who is nothing but one little ewe lamb which he had bought, fed, and born to you shall surely die.” raised together with himself and his children. The lamb ate of And Nathan departed to his house. And yhwh struck the his own food and drank of his own cup and lay on his lap and child that Uriah's wife bore to David, and it was very sick. was like a daughter to him. Then there came a vistor to the rich David therefore begged God for the child and he fasted and he man. So, sparing his own flocks and his own herds to make a went and lay all night upon the dirt. The elders of his house meal for the wayfarer, the rich man took the poor man's lamb arose and went to him, to raise him up from the earth, but he and prepared it for his guest.” would not rise nor would he eat bread with them. And it was David's anger was greatly aroused against this man and he on the seventh day that the child died. The servants of David said to Nathan, “As yhwh lives, the man that has done this feared to tell him that the child was dead, saying, “Look! while deed shall surely die! He shall restore the lamb four times over, the child was still alive, we spoke to him and he would not lis- because he did this deed and because he had no compassion.” ten to our voices; how then will he anger himself if we tell him And Nathan said to David, “You are that man! Thus says that the child is dead?” But when David saw his servants whis- yhwh God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I de- pering, he understood that the child was dead and he said to his livered you out of the hand of Saul, and I gave you your mas- servants, “Is the child dead?” and they said, “He is dead.” ter's house and your master's wives into your lap, and gave you So David arose from the dirt, washed, anointed himself, the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, changed his apparel, and came into the house of yhwh in wor- I would moreover have given to you even as much again! Why ship. Then he came to his own house, and when he asked, they then have you despised the commandment of yhwh, to do evil set bread before him and he ate. His servants said to him,“Why in his sight? You killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have you behaved in this way? You fasted and wept for the have taken his wife to be your wife, and you slew him using the child while it was alive, but when the child was dead you rose sword of the people of Ammon. So now the sword shall never and ate bread.” David said, “While the child was still alive I depart from your house because you despised me and took the fasted and wept, because I thought, ‘Who can tell whether God wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. Thus says yhwh, ‘Be- will be gracious to me and allow the child to live?’ But now that hold! I will raise up evil against you out of your own house, and he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back? I shall go I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your to him, but he shall not return to me.” neighbor, and he shall lay with your wives in the sight of this And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, came into her, lay sun. For you did it secretly but I will do this thing before all with her, and she bore a son. He called his name Solomon and Israel and before the sun.’” yhwh loved him. (2 Samuel 11:1-12:25)

aroused: David shows more outrage for the lamb-as-daughter than when his own daughter Tamar is raped by her half-brother Amnon in ch. 13 punishment: David to be humiliated through more suffering of innocents: You are that man! David judged alone, as for rape not consensual adultury wives raped, wars rage, child dies; fitting for the time